HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - #2 Southern Arkansas tossed the ball to junior RHP Mikel Howell on Sunday afternoon at the Dugan Invitational and the first-year Mulerider delivered five strong innings of two-hit baseball with a half dozen strikeouts, before senior reliever Jack Liddell held off (RV) Northeastern State over the final four innings to give the Muleriders a 3-2 win in a matchup of two 2022 NCAA Tournament participants.
 
Howell (W, 1-0) worked around single base runners in the first and third innings and tossed 1-2-3 frames in the second and fourth before NSU pushed across its first run in the fifth.
 
The RiverHawks' Isaiah Keller singled with one out and promptly stole second and third before scoring on a groundout to cut SAU's lead in half.
 
Southern Arkansas plated its first two runs early as a two-out base knock by first-year Mulerider Mikey McGinnis plated Brett McGee, who singled with one away in the inning, for the game's first scoring tally in the home half of the first. The Muleriders added its second run in the next frame as a one-out walk to McGee pushed home Chris Lyles for a 2-0 lead. However, that was all that SAU would get in the second as they stranded the bases loaded.
 
Liddell entered in relief of Howell to start the sixth and pitched around a one-out single, just the third NSU hit of the game at the time, to get out of the inning. In between 1-2-3 innings commanded by Liddell in the seventh and eighth, the Muleriders added the third and final run in the post-stretch seventh.
 
Riley Orr walked to start the inning and advanced a bag on a balk. Orr raced home on a single into center field off the bat of Brandon Nicoll as SAU cushioned its lead with what would be a huge third run.
 
In the top of the ninth, NSU managed as many hits in the frame as they had in their previous eight trips to the plate. Consecutive singles led off the inning and following a strikeout, the RiverHawks pulled to within a run of tying the contest as an RBI groundout put a runner at second with two away.
 
That runner, NSU's Brayden Rodden, advanced to third on a single by Keller in the next at bat, but would be cut down in an effort to get home on the contact by Keller as a 3-2-5 run down ended the game.
 
Howell allowed just three base runners in his debut for SAU. Liddell faced three over the minimum as well. McGee, McGinnis, Nicoll, Orr and Lyles recorded singles with the first three delivering an RBI. McGee, Orr and Lyles all scored.
 
Southern Arkansas returns to action on Monday for two games to close out the Dugan Invitational. The Muleriders matchup with NR/(RV) Washburn at 12:30 p.m. and will follow that action with a 3:30 p.m. first-pitch against Rogers State. SAU and WU met in the first round of last season's Central Region Tournament which saw SAU win a thriller 12-11. SAU and RSU meet on the diamond for the first time. Live stat links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.